


sweetest con

by SmoakingGreenArrow



Series: everlore [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, College, Con Artists, F/F, F/M, Fluff, High School, Infidelity, Inspired by Music, Possible smut, happy endings only, messy relationships, stories inspired by folklore/everlore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28434171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmoakingGreenArrow/pseuds/SmoakingGreenArrow
Summary: On the night that they met, Oliver and Felicity weren’t looking for a connection. Neither of them expected to meet someone, at a wedding for two strangers, that would leave a lasting impression. Oliver was there for a good time. Felicity was there for a reason. In their own ways, they were fooling themselves while they played games with others. But maybe it’s true what they say...forever is the sweetest con.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: everlore [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082684
Comments: 87
Kudos: 191





	1. dangerous game

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the first fic of my new "everlore" series! Just to put this right out there: Yes, this series is loosely based off of the recent Taylor Swift albums. No, you do not need to be a fan of the music to enjoy the fics ;)  
> The thing about fanfic, in my opinion, is that it exists because I wanted something more, better, or different. I don't think that I would write fic if I was satisfied with the original content, which is why I don't write fic for every show I watch. Arrow is the biggest and best example of this, at least for me. I loved the characters, some scenes, some dialog. But more often than not, I didn't love the show. There were things that I wished I could have seen on screen, so I wrote them off screen.  
> That being said, I've never had that feeling when it comes to music until I heard Taylor Swift's sister albums and found myself listening to the songs over and over, discovering new pieces to the story, and becoming invested in these complicated characters. There could be entire fanfic written just for them, but I want to make it clear that these stories will be more of a vague interpretation. By this I mean that Oliver and Felicity are no James and Betty ;) I'm just using certain emotions and lyrics to write situations that I could imagine Oliver and Felicity in. Hopefully y'all enjoy it!

Felicity Smoak walked through the doors of the Coast City Country Club with her head held high. It was the kind of place where women walked with their noses in the air and a sway in their hips. If you didn’t do the same, you’d stick out like a sore thumb. 

And since the whole mission for the night was to blend in with the wedding reception, Felicity played the game.

It was a game she knew well. She was practically a professional at this point. 

Blend in...but stand out. 

Be a fly on the wall...but don’t go completely unnoticed. 

Turn heads...but don’t draw too much attention.

She passed the lounge area without making eye contact with any of the guests, although she noticed when her dress (or rather her ass _in_ the dress) caught a young man’s attention. Out of the corner of her eye, Felicity could see the way he ogled her, his gaze making her back stiffen and her skin feel tight.

But he didn’t quite fit the target she planned to set her sights on, so she pretended not to notice and headed for the bar instead, taking a seat on one of the tall chairs.

At any given party, the bar was her favorite place.

Not for the booze, since she rarely drank, and especially not when she had a job to do. She had to keep her wits about her, after all. Rather, it was because the bar always offered the perfect vantage point.

First, she orders a drink. A simple whiskey sour that she can sip slowly while she surveys her surroundings. 

Second, she logs all of the exits into her brain.

And finally, she watches.

Felicity came in a little late on purpose, so that the sea of strangers had time to warm up. And drink. No one was paying her much attention at that point, aside from the occasional glance in her direction. Which was expected. It wasn’t like she was entirely invisible. But for the most part, the people were too busy celebrating.

The bride and groom were both trashed. The maid of honor was trying to take care of them both while the best man flirted with the other bridesmaids. 

Different faces. Same story. Every time.

And just like any other tale, there’s always the one. 

Felicity noticed him in a matter of seconds; sitting at a white-clothed table in the back of the room. Alone. Her past experience told her that he was the man she needed to talk to, but she was nothing if not cautious. Rather than approaching him instantly, Felicity sat back in her chair, watching the ebb and flow of the party, people mixing and mingling. The guests moved between the bar, the ballroom, and the wide doors that lead outside to where a tent was set up and strung with lights. But Felicity remained, her eyes careful and alert; never focusing on any one person for too long, never letting her expression show too much interest in any of them, never giving anyone a reason to think she didn't belong.

That’s what the pretty pink dress and blonde hair was all about, anyway.

It didn’t take long for the man in the corner to notice her, too. 

This was the part that always went the same.

Their eyes met. Felicity quickly glanced away, feigning a shy smile as she took a sip of her whiskey. Then she looked back, waited for him to meet her eyes again and held his gaze for longer this time, before they both averted their eyes. Once she saw the interest in his gaze, she turned in her chair, giving him her back.

_Hook, line, sinker._

To the man’s credit, he waited longer than most before he finally approached her. A whole five minutes.

Felicity glanced up as he took the seat beside her. “Hi, I’m Landon.”

She smiled, shaking his hand when he offered it. “Caroline.”

He held her hand in a tight shake, longer than necessary, until he finally dropped it. And Felicity ignored the urge to cringe at the feeling of his wrinkled skin grasping her hand.

A smile spread across his face. 

A wolf baring his teeth. 

This Landon guy had to be in his sixties...which meant Felicity needed an extra moment to compose herself. At twenty six, it never sat right with her. She knew what she needed to do and that it would be over soon, but it made her skin crawl when men that age looked at her the way that _this_ man was looking at her now.

“So,” Felicity slowly drawled, forcing her shoulders to relax as she peered at him. “Bride or groom?”

The man’s smile twitched as he flagged down the bartender. “My ex-wife is the bride’s aunt. But she always liked me better.”

“Hmmm,” Felicity hummed. “And I bet your ex is just _ecstatic_ that you’re here tonight?”

“Oh, it was an amicable divorce,” he shrugged as the bartender set a dark bottle of beer in front of him. “It’s been fifteen years since we split, so the scars have mostly healed. And they were my scars anyway. Kind of hard to call the shots all these years later when she’s the one who slept with our gardener, right?”

_Ouch._

Felicity raised her eyebrows, pegging Landon as the kind of man who didn’t want pity or sympathy or anything in between.

“And what about you, Caroline?” the man asked. “Bride or groom?”

She sighed as she answered, “Groom. We’re friends from college. I haven’t spoken to him in years,” she rolled her eyes, making a point to look around the room, “I thought more of the old gang would have accepted the invitation, but…”

“Ah,” Landon shook his head. “A Yale girl. I should have known.”

“Yep,” Felicity lied. In truth, she’d turned down Yale (and Harvard, Brown, and Dartmouth) for MIT, but this stranger didn’t need to know that. “I guess his wedding isn’t exactly the best place for a reunion.” The lies continued to roll off her tongue. It was like a second language to her now. “I had about three seconds to say hi and meet his new bride and then they were off to take pictures or something.” 

_Another lie._

In reality, she only recognized the bride and groom by face and name. But again, this stranger didn’t need to know that. Between the extensive guest list and the fact that the happy newlyweds were being pulled in twenty different directions, Felicity doubted that it would be a problem. For her, or for _Caroline._

“Well, Blake has always been dull.” Landon leaned in close, his eyes glinting as his attention shifted to her lips, which she’d painted pink to match her dress, for _exactly_ this effect. Landon’s gaze lingered on her lips, “Between you and me, Addison can do better.”

Felicity chuckled darkly, “That’s not the best omen to be giving them on their wedding day.”

Landon’s smirk ticked up at the corner of his mouth, making him look more sinister in the dimmed lights. “Oh no, I think this day is going to bring plenty of good luck. If not for them, then maybe for me.”

She had to admit, he was a better smooth talker than most men she’d met before. A charmer. Aside from the fact that he could be her father, there was also an energy about him that prevented her from falling into his trap. Something that triggered her instincts and kept her guard up. 

_He was a creep._

That wouldn’t stop her from doing what she came here to do, though.

A quiet corner out back in the gardens or behind the tennis courts. Close enough to the crowd that she’d be safe but far enough away for privacy. She could be there and gone in under five minutes. And then she’d be on the road and none of these people would see her face again.

“Well why don’t we test your luck then,” Felicity murmured, looking up at him from behind her lashes, sending a clear message.

She got up from her stool and took his hand, leading him outside. The tent ahead of them had music coming from it, a dance floor beneath it, and most of the guests were inside. Felicity walked them slowly down the lit path that looped around to the gardens.

“Caroline…”

One smirk over her shoulder and Landon shut up, following _Caroline_ without question.

No matter how much they wanted to act like they were in control, they always followed. And this one was no different.

* * *

Oliver Queen sat surrounded by people. The party was in full swing and the bride was drunk and getting handsy. Unfortunately her hands were more focused on him than the man she just married. And he wasn't exactly enjoying it. His moral compass might be a little bit damaged, but sleeping with a bride on her wedding day when he was there with one of her friends would be low. Even for him.

After a few too many “accidental” brushes involving her fingers and his pants, Oliver decided to remove himself from the table. He was there as someone’s date, a girl he’d met last week, and he’d agreed to come because rich people threw expensive parties and gave away free booze and food. It sounded like a good time. Plus, Elizabeth's bed was a comfortable place. He’d been enjoying his time there. And the fact that it gave him a place to stay for the past few nights.

His lifestyle was nomadic at best and criminal at worst. But Oliver never spent his time doing anything unless there was something in it for him.

He lived freely; traveling where he wanted and staying for as long as he pleased. He’d take odd jobs when necessary, but he mostly relied on his wiles and his wits to carry him from town to town.

Making his way to the bar, Oliver sat down, picking a seat that was close to the door. He did it instinctively at this point, as if he always had to give himself the best option for a quick exit.

It was from that spot where he saw the woman. 

She was wearing a pink dress that fell off her shoulders and hugged every curve of her body, her hair was tied into a neat bun at the nape of her neck, revealing her back. She possessed the kind of beauty that would turn heads...if she wanted them to turn for her. Otherwise, she might fly under the radar. And looking at her, Oliver didn’t get the impression that she actually _wanted_ attention. Unlike most of the women at the reception, she kept herself tucked away at the bar, her eyes dancing with an older man who sat across the room.

Oliver watched the interaction between the two, surprisingly invested in the woman's game, the way she flirted with the guy.

_And oh, she was good._

She made it abundantly clear to the gray haired gentleman that she was interested without being too obvious or looking too eager.

It was an art he’d mastered himself. And it made him look at the woman more closely. She stood out in a way that felt familiar to him. He tilted his head to eavesdrop when the man eventually worked up the courage to approach her. Oliver shamelessly listened in on their conversation, entertained to see it unfold.

He became certain of one thing: this woman was deceptive. She toyed with the older man. She offered answers that were vague enough not to be caught in a lie but specific enough to pass as the truth.

And Oliver knew her...because he _was_ her.

She worked just as fast as he did, too. The woman, Caroline, she’d said her name was, kept the conversation light and took her chance when it arose. But what Oliver really wanted to know was what a gorgeous, quick woman like this would want with the bride’s grumpy old uncle. 

As soon as the couple slipped away from the bar, he found himself following them. He snuck out of a separate exit and then circled around the building, asking himself what the _hell_ he was doing at least three times until he caught sight of them again.

Then he found himself directly in their path. 

Oliver stepped away from the building and onto the trail that led from the country club to the reception tent. And he bumped into the woman, his eyes wide as she glanced up at him. 

He really had no idea what his plan was at that moment. He was usually one to act first and think later. He was usually quick on his feet. But he had a feeling that this woman would see through him as easily as he could see through her...so he wasn’t sure why he thought it’d be a good idea to put himself right in her crosshairs.

“Excuse us,” Caroline mumbled, brushing past him as she pulled the older man along.

Oliver kept his feet in place, stopping her with his hands on his arms. He smiled down at her, “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.”

The woman gaped up at him, her eyebrows pushing together in confusion as she studied his face, like she was trying to recognize him and coming up short.

“You know this guy?” Her _friend_ asked.

Before Caroline could answer, Oliver wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side, effectively making her drop the other man’s hand. “Of course she does,” he answered for her, keeping his voice light and friendly. The last thing he or this mystery woman wanted was to cause a scene. He knew she’d smile along out of self preservation. Because he was willing to bet that she wasn't a guest at the wedding. “Caroline and I go way back. Yale buddies.”

Her eyes narrowed at him, but she didn’t challenge him. “Of course,” the woman mumbled through her teeth. “Old friends.”

“And you...” Oliver smirked at her, “promised me a dance.” He tapped his index finger to her nose, just because it was amusing to watch her squirm.

Her eyes flamed with anger, “Maybe later, _buddy._ I’m a little busy right now.”

“Oh no, no, no,” Oliver insisted, guiding the stranger away from the other man, towards the tent instead. “You said whenever I wanted, and I choose now.” He offered a quick wave to the bride’s uncle as they left him alone on the path. He seemed irritated that Oliver was cockblocking him.

But Oliver didn’t really give a damn.

The woman under his arm also seemed irritated. In fact, Caroline was _seething_ as he pulled her away. Once they rounded the corner of the tent, she wheeled around on him, her cheeks red and her eyes blazing as she yanked his hand off her shoulder. “Who the hell are you and what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Since he didn’t have an answer, Oliver deflected. “We’re going to dance,” he raised his arm, gesturing to the doorway of the tent.

She shook her head, crossing her arms and pouting, which made her look much younger than he’d originally thought. She’d seemed older when she was giving her best bedroom eyes to a creepy old man. In fact, even with the tight dress and the makeup she wore, up close, Caroline looked like she was barely over twenty one. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me why you ruined my—” Caroline pinched her lips together, stopping herself.

Oliver raised his eyebrows, dipping his head to whisper, “Why I ruined your con?”

Her face flushed red as she let out a sharp breath, quickly pulling her eyes away from his. “Who are you?”

“Oliver Queen. And who are you?”

The woman’s eyes darted up to him again, surprised. Whether she was caught off guard by his quick and honest answer or his blunt question, he wasn’t sure. “Caroline Jones.”

He cocked his head to the side, considering her. “I don’t believe you. So, why don’t you tell me the truth before I tell security that we have a wedding crasher.” Her face fell, a flash of fear crossing her expression before she swiftly masked it with anger. He stared down at the stranger, ignoring the discomfort he felt, knowing his threat had scared her. “Your name," he tried to sound a little nicer. "The real one please.”

As she blinked back, Oliver could tell that she was considering what to do next. Lie again? Make a run for it? Or just be honest? He’d know if she lied. His bullshit detector was too good and she was too thrown off her game. And if she ran, he would either chase her or she'd draw a hell of a lot of attention to herself. Which left honesty as her only option. And that seemed to be the same realization that the woman came to. “Felicity Smoak,” she finally whispered. "My name is Felicity Smoak."

Instinctively, he knew that she was telling the truth.

She was quite fiery, but _Felicity_ suited her.

“How old are you?” 

“Twenty six.” She grit the words out as if it pained her to admit them.

Oliver couldn’t help but laugh, earning himself a glare from this perplexing woman. “I’m not pulling your teeth here, Ms. Smoak. Just looking for honest answers.”

“Why does it matter?” she scowled. “Why do you care what my name is, or how old I am, or who I was with!? I don’t even know you!”

He huffed, taking a moment to think about her very valid questions. She definitely had a point. He still wasn’t sure what compelled him to get into the middle of her business. But he had. And it was done. So what else was there to do if not have a little fun with her? “Maybe I just thought your time would be better spent with me and not some boring old fool.”

She didn’t react, analyzing him with the same spite in her eyes. “Is Oliver your real name?”

He shrugged, smiling coyly and trying not to let it bother him that the stranger seemed to hate his guts. “Do you think it is?”

Felicity's head tipped to the side, assessing him the same way that he had assessed her. “I suppose so,” she answered slowly. "You _do_ look like an Oliver."

Oliver wasn’t really sure why, but it made him smile to know that she believed him. "And you look like a Felicity," he nodded once and then offered his hand. “So how about that dance?”

* * *

She couldn’t explain what was happening, not even to herself.

The man in front of her was a puzzle. And as much as she wanted to find more pieces of him, she knew it wasn’t smart. No matter who Oliver Queen was, he had caught her in the middle of an awkward, morally wrong situation. And he was an _actual_ guest at the wedding, which meant he didn’t owe her a damn thing.

She shouldn’t have taken his hand and accepted his invitation to dance.

This was the part of the night where she needed to bail, head back to her motel room and come up with another plan tomorrow. Getting out unscathed was more important than spending another moment with this stranger, who already knew her name. And knew that she was a liar.

Yet Felicity found herself taking his hand and letting him lead her into the tent, onto the dance floor.

He guided her hand up to rest on his neck, wrapping his arm around her back and pulling her against his chest. His eyes remained on her face as they slowly started to sway with the music. It all felt far too intimate for two people who had only met minutes ago.

“If I asked you why you’re here,” Oliver murmured gently, “would you tell me?”

“Would _you_ tell _me_?” Felicity instantly quipped back.

“My date is a friend of the bride’s.”

“Your _date?_ ” she observed him carefully. “Not your girlfriend, or your wife, or your mistress…”

Oliver chuckled as he led their dance, turning in an easy circle. “Her name is Elizabeth. I met her last week.”

Felicity raised an eyebrow, “You decided to go to a _wedding_ with someone you barely know?”

“At least I came here with someone.” His tone was teasing, light, but the accusation made her stiffen, her eyes glancing around them for the first time. Thankfully, no one was paying attention. No one cared. But she’d forgotten to check her surroundings. 

She _never_ forgot.

This guy was attractive. _Sinfully_ sexy. Unfairly charming. And his eyes were ridiculously blue. He was a distraction.

 _Acknowledge it, accept it, and then get your head on straight,_ she mentally kicked herself.

“Well, where is Elizabeth now?” 

He glanced over his shoulder, pointing his thumb across the lawn, back to the bar. “In there. With the bride and her friends. I’ve done my part as the arm candy. Now she doesn’t really care if I’m there or here.”

“Not to be nosy,” Felicity bit her lip, “but you don’t seem very interested in your date if you’re following strangers out into the night and forcing innocent women to dance with you.”

Oliver laughed, squeezing her hand that he held over his heart. “You don’t seem all that innocent to me. How does it go, by the way?”

Felicity gave him a confused look, “How does what go?”

He leaned in closer, mumbling in her ear, “The con.” 

He spoke as if they were sharing a secret. Which, technically, they were, since he’d all but caught her in the act of seducing another man. But his voice was low and quiet, almost... _bawdy._ And it fogged her brain. “Come on,” Oliver continued. “You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.”

She pulled back, looking up at his face. “Your con?”

He winked. 

Felicity shook her head, “Well, as curious as I am about yours, I don’t think you want to know mine.”

“You get them alone and then proposition them for sex,” he tossed out the guess. 

Not that it surprised her that his head would go there… Felicity purposely stepped on his foot in retaliation anyway, feeling vindicated when he flinched. He glared at her while she smiled innocently. 

“Fine,” Oliver grumbled. “I’ll go first then. I travel all across the country and do anything I want. I answer to no one. I meet people, like my date in there, and I use my persuasion and my kickass personality to convince them to give me what I want. Free drinks. A place to crash,” he grinned before finishing, “breakfast in the morning if I really want to push my luck. And then I move on to the next town and do it all over again.”

Felicity stared at him, absorbing his words. And feeling like an idiot. The guy lived like a real con man for no other reason than his own selfish desires. It was his choice. His pleasure. And he was only telling her this because he thought that she did the same. Whatever he thought he saw between her and Landon, he assumed that she was just like him. “Well, you might have a talent for reading people, Oliver. But you clearly don’t know me if you think any of that would impress me. Actually, I think I misjudged you, too. If I knew you were that big of an asshole, I would have let you call security and taken my chances with them instead of dancing with you.”

He frowned, but offered no other reaction. “Which part offends you, exactly?”

She opened her mouth to snark back at him, but then closed it, thrown off by the question and the pensive, unfazed look on his face. “You use people and then leave them once you’ve taken what you want from them.”

“And what do you do?”

Felicity cocked her head, “I take what I need.”

“Well, what was it that you needed tonight?” He countered, his voice just a whisper. "From Old Man Sketchy back there?"

“Money,” she sighed, choosing to answer honestly. She’d already dug herself a hole as soon as she agreed to dance with him. Might as well climb in it. _Not like she planned to ever see this jerk again in her lifetime._

“But no,” Felicity shrugged, “I was not going to proposition Landon for sex. I was going to steal his wallet and be out of here before it came to that.”

“Hm,” Oliver’s hand slid up her back, cupping her shoulder as he held her closer. “So you’re saying that you wouldn’t have slept with him? You would have left empty handed, if say, you didn’t get the chance to take his wallet while he still had his clothes on?”

“Of course.”

“But you flirted with him. Led him on. Isn’t _that_ playing with the poor man’s heart? Not to mention the whole stealing his wallet part. So...my choices cross some sort of line to you, since your reaction seems quite fierce on the subject. And yet, your choices, you’ve found a way to justify. You think that I’m an asshole, but you see nothing wrong with leading a rich man into a dark corner and robbing him blind.”

_Well...that was one way to put it._

Felicity pulled away, having heard enough. But Oliver shook his head, holding tighter as a simple reminder that at least in that moment, he was the guest and she was the one who didn’t belong.

“Would you have kissed him?” Oliver asked.

Kissing was as far as she'd ever let her cons go. But she'd still rather forget that entirely. “If I had to,” Felicity grit out, malice in her voice. 

“I see. So you create the rules. You set the boundaries. You call all the shots, Ms. Smoak.”

“Yeah,” she nodded, her anger rising as she tried to keep from yelling at the arrogant prick. “I guess I do. So what?”

“Tell me how you and I are different then.”

“You describe your life like you’re living some kind of dream,” Felicity shook her head slowly. “I have my reasons for needing the money, and reasons for getting it the way that I do. You use people...because you feel like it.”

He arched an eyebrow, asking the obvious with one look rather than words. _And those reasons would be?_

Felicity simply raised an eyebrow back at him. A challenge. “But that’s none of your business, Mr. Queen.”

The song ended then.

She stepped away from him, dropping his hand.

Oliver took it back, bringing her hand up to his mouth and kissing her knuckles chastely. 

Despite herself, despite her anger, Felicity blushed.

And Oliver grinned like he knew how it affected her. He kissed her fingers one more time before letting go. “I have something for you.”

Cocking her head to the side, she stared up at him and waited.

“Since I ruined your play with the old chump back there…” Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, keeping it in the palm of his hand to avoid the gazes any of the nosy country club ladies might throw his way.

Most people carry cash in case of an emergency. Oliver Queen carried...a wedding ring?

It was a shiny thing; a gold band with an oval shaped emerald at the center. Simple. Elegant. Beautiful.

Felicity’s eyes widened as she looked down at the ring. Then she quickly grabbed his hand and closed his fist around it. Her gaze swung up to him, “Are you crazy!?” she hissed. 

Oliver chuckled, “Relax, Ms. Smoak. It’s your ticket out of Coast City. That’s why tonight was so important, right? That’s why you were so upset when I interrupted your con? My guess is that you're planning to leave town soon and you need the money to do it. So...here.”

“Where did you get that?”

“It was my grandmother’s,” he answered. And he at least sounded sincere.

“Why the hell are you walking around with an insanely expensive-looking ring in your pocket?”

“In case I need to pawn it in a pinch,” Oliver huffed out the explanation. “It’s much lighter and easier to stash than a wad of cash.”

Felicity was shaking her head before he could even finish his sentence, her hand still wrapped around his fist, the beautiful ring inside. “I can’t take that from you. Look, I’m just trying to get a bus ticket to Starling City, not taking a luxury vacation around the world.”

His eyes widened. “Starling City. That’s where you’re going?”

“Yes,” she glanced up at him, skeptical. “Have you been?”

Oliver seemed a little breathless as he answered, “Once or twice.”

Letting go of his hand, Felicity shook her head again. “Well, it’s nice of you to offer that bling, um, and...very strange, but no thank you.” 

She would rather spend another night in Coast City and scrounge up the cash to get to Starling another way. The last thing she wanted was to feel in debt to a man she barely knew. 

_No,_ barely _was generous._

She didn’t know this guy at all. There wasn’t a chance in hell that she was going to take a handout from him.

Before Oliver could react, Felicity was walking away. She weaved and maneuvered through the crowd in the only kind of dance that felt comfortable to her. _Escape._

Yet, as she left the tent as quickly as she could, she could feel Oliver Queen's eyes on her. Like he knew just where she would run because he knew every step of this particular dance.

* * *

She was trying to get to the one place in the world that Oliver didn’t want to be. 

_What were the chances of that?_

The woman was like a wild animal trapped in a zoo. It was now clear to him that she didn’t belong in a country club any more than a lioness belonged in a cage. Beneath the act that Felicity put on, she looked anxious. Uncomfortable in the confined place. Or maybe even in her own skin. Either way, Oliver knew that this wasn’t a woman who could ever be tamed to live in the world of expensive gowns, convenient marriages, and dark lies.

This was a woman who needed to be free.

He couldn’t help but wonder if she was.

Once the shock wore off, Oliver chased after her, catching sight of her pink dress as she retreated towards the coat room. He slipped through the crowd, narrowly avoiding his drunk date and the handsy bride.

Felicity had her jacket and purse and was already on her way out by the time he reached the coat room. He jogged down the empty hallway and into the front lobby, pushing through the doors that opened to the parking lot.

His breath billowed in front of him as he looked for her, his mind somewhere else. Somewhere between the here and now, and Starling City. Somewhere with this mysterious woman who apparently had a remarkable connection to both. He was still a little breathless when he saw Felicity again, standing on the sidewalk as she waited for the valet to bring her car up.

“Hey,” he stopped in front of her, wondering what kind of cosmic force could have brought the two of them together. 

Oliver wasn’t a believer in fate or karma or anything of the kind. But he couldn’t deny opportunity. Or his gut.

And his gut was screaming at him not to let this girl get away from him. And that had to be an opportunity up for the taking, right?

Felicity glanced in his direction, and he closed the distance. “Oliver,” she lifted her chin as he approached. “I told you, I won’t take that fancy ring from you.”

She spoke to him like she’d known him forever, not twenty minutes. Like she wasn’t surprised that he’d chase her and she knew just what he was about to say. Oliver smiled at the thought. “Okay. Don’t take it. I was actually hoping that you might let me take your phone number?”

“You—” Felicity pinched her lips together. “You meddle in my business. You make me dance with you. You try to give me a ring that has to be worth thousands of dollars. And now you’re hitting on me?”

“Uh...well, I’m trying to. You don’t make it very easy on a guy, Ms. Smoak.”

“You’re hitting on a girl that you just saw trying to steal an old drunk’s wallet?”

“Yes. I am.” He pushed his hands into his pockets, feeling self-conscious for the first time in a long time. Because there was a real chance that Felicity could say no. Tell him to get lost. And for once, he was afraid of that happening. Because...it might hurt a little more than his ego if he never saw this woman again. “So, what do you say?”

“No,” Felicity answered quietly, and Oliver felt his heart sink. “I won’t give you my number but...I would take yours. And maybe I would call you. _Maybe._ ”

Not quite what he was hoping for, but with the lioness he had here? He knew he’d have to take what he could get. “Okay,” he whispered back. “Okay, I can handle _maybe_.”

Oliver wrote his number on a receipt she pulled from her car. Felicity put it in her pocket but didn’t make any promises to use it. She got behind the wheel of her aged Cadillac. He hovered.

They said goodnight.

Felicity smiled at him, a guileful look in her eyes. Oliver resisted the urge to say anything else, an instinct that told him there was nothing more he _could_ say.

Maybe Felicity Smoak would call him. Or maybe she wouldn’t.

As Oliver leaned down to kiss her cheek, he made a split decision. 

He slipped his grandmother’s ring into her jacket pocket. 

And Felicity, distracted by the kiss, her hands gripping the steering wheel in front of her, didn’t seem to notice.

There wasn’t anything else he could say to convince her to see him again, but maybe this was something he could do to increase his chances of hearing from her. Felicity had refused to take the ring...but at least this way, she might call just to scold him for not listening to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO, as some of you probably guessed, this one is mostly based on "cowboy like me" :)  
> Hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you think in the comments!


	2. best laid plan

Cooper Seldon walked into the club like he owned the place. He was surrounded by a group of people with women under each of his arms. They all looked drunk.

And it was the first time Felicity had seen him in three years.

She recognized him instantly. He hadn’t changed at all. But of course, he wouldn’t think twice about her. Luckily for her, he’d grown comfortable in the last year or so. He didn’t look over his shoulder for her the way that he used to. He wasn’t as paranoid. He was cocky. 

_Clearly._

Cooper’s feet stumbled as he walked, his eyes glossy as the girls giggled and practically carried him to the bar.

That would work in her favor, too.

She didn’t look like the goth he’d dated back at MIT, but even if she seemed familiar to him, Felicity was willing to bet that he was too drunk to put it together. Her lack of black hair dye and black eyeliner would probably be enough to confuse him.

Plus, it was apparently Verdant’s opening night, which meant that the place was extremely crowded. Easy to get lost in, or in her case, go unnoticed. 

Coop wouldn’t see her coming…and by the end of the night, Felicity vowed that she would see him in handcuffs.

“You got your eye on your next victim, Ms. Smoak?”

Felicity startled at the voice behind her, close to her ear. It was vaguely familiar, but she didn’t turn around until she’d placed him.

_Oliver Queen._

“Are you stalking me now, Mr. Queen?”

“Stalking? No, no...that would be a lot of effort to put into a girl who never called me.”

She watched him for a moment, wondering if he was going to get in her way tonight. Like he had gotten in her way two months ago.

This wasn’t a petty con, though. This was the grand heist. And if she wanted to pull it off, then Oliver Queen needed to go away. 

Even though she’d thought about calling him every day for the last eight weeks. 

Felicity wanted to. She had to admit to herself that she wanted to call him. The guy was good company, she liked the way he bantered and challenged her that night in Coast City, and obviously he was gorgeous. She’d had fun flirting with him and thought about calling to see if the chemistry was still there, or if it’d just been a fluke thanks to the romantic setting of a rich country club wedding. She was curious. What could she say? 

Of course, Felicity didn’t call him, though. She had bigger things to worry about and the last thing she needed was a distraction. Especially not one that came in a package like _him._

“What ever happened to my grandmother’s ring, by the way?” He grinned at her.

Felicity cleared her throat, not meeting his eyes. “How do you think I found my way to Starling? I sold it.”

_Lie._

It was currently hidden in the glove compartment of her car. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to pawn it and ended up staying in Coast City three days longer than she planned, until she’d swindled enough cash to buy a train ticket.

Oliver leaned in close, mumbling in her ear, “I was hoping you’d at least call to thank me.”

“Thank you?” Felicity shifted away; away from the man who smelled heavenly, had a voice of sin, and looked like a Greek god. “For something I specifically said I didn’t want?” He smirked, giving her nothing more than a shrug in response. “Well,” she continued, “usually when a girl doesn’t call...it means she’s not interested.”

His eyebrows furrowed at that, a slight frown pulling at his lips. Oliver’s gaze landed on hers, holding her eyes captive as he asked, “Does it?”

Felicity composed herself, checking on Cooper one more time before dealing with the problem in front of her. “Yes. It does. Most men would take the hint.” She pinned him with a glare, mustering all the anger she could. Even if all of it was truly meant for Cooper, she’d use it against Oliver if she had to. “But I can’t say I’m surprised that it didn’t quite click with you. You have a hard time accepting rejection, don’t you, Oliver?”

He blinked at her, surprised by the malice in her voice. The last time they’d met, Felicity had been annoyed that Oliver shorted her out of the cash she’d been working to steal. She’d been angry and she’d let him know it. But even then, she hadn’t been mean. Now...she _needed_ to make sure that Oliver Queen didn’t get involved in this mess with Cooper. Her mess.

“Look,” he shook his head, his expression hurt. “I didn’t follow you here or anything like that. My sister actually owns this club, I’m here to support her. You told me two months ago that you were coming to Starling, but I couldn’t have known you’d be here tonight.”

His sister owned a club here? She lived here? _He_ lived here?

Felicity glanced up at him in surprise, noting the strange coincidence. And the even stranger circumstances that brought them together again. 

“When you didn’t call,” Oliver continued, “I didn’t expect to ever see you again. I know it seems weird...but it just makes me wonder if there’s something here, you know? Between us...” Scratching the back of his neck, he chuckled nervously before mumbling, “I mean, what were chances that I’d see you again? I can’t help but wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something. That’s why I had to come over here. Sorry to bother you.”

“What would the universe be trying to tell you?” Felicity asked, stopping him with a hand on his arm when he moved to stand up.

Oliver lifted his shoulders, his focus on her fingers that were still wrapped around his forearm. “That I should get to know you.”

Felicity raised an eyebrow, “You need a sign from the universe that you should get to know a girl? I’m guessing that means you don’t build too many meaningful connections while you drift from city to city meeting strangers. Isn’t that what you do?”

“Trust me, I’m not lacking in that department. There are countless cities where I know I’d always have a place to stay. Friends I can call who I know would always answer.”

“Then why do you care so much about knowing me?”

He huffed out a breath, his eyes holding hers hostage. “Because I _want_ to know you.”

“Why?” Felicity threw her hands up. “Because _the universe_ told you to?”

“Don’t you believe in destiny, Felicity?”

She narrowed her eyes, “Was that a pickup line? Did you just use a cheesy line on me?”

Oliver chuckled, “Only if it’s working.”

There was no denying that running into him again was weird. Of all the people and all the places in the world, he was the one she couldn’t seem to shake. And Felicity had to admit that she didn’t really want to shake him. 

But then again, she didn’t have time for a long talk about the possibility of fate. She didn’t have time to think about if it meant anything at all.

Cooper was on the move.

Felicity watched as he stood up from his table, nodding for two of the nearby men to follow him, and then they made their way to the back of the club and slipped through a door that had ‘Employees Only’ branded on the glass. 

“Where is he going?” She mumbled to herself, not expecting an answer.

But apparently Oliver Queen had one.

“My sister said she had a meeting with some tech genius about a security system tonight,” he frowned as he watched Cooper, a stumbling and giggling mess, disappear behind the door. Oliver didn’t look too impressed with Cooper. “Guess that’s the guy.”

Her eyes darted up to Oliver’s.

As quickly as Felicity had wanted to get rid of him, she suddenly saw him as her only chance to get closer to Coop. Whatever her ex-boyfriend was doing back there, it couldn’t be good. And apparently Oliver’s sister was already mixed up in it.

She tilted her head back towards him, “So you said she owns this place?”

* * *

He was only here to support Thea. Even though Oliver knew Felicity Smoak would be passing through Starling at _some_ point, there was no way he could have predicted she’d be in town on the same night that he was. Much less, the same club.

But she clearly had an agenda.

At first, he’d assumed that it was another con of hers. Another move for quick cash to get her to another place.

Something seemed different, though. The night he met her in Coast City, Felicity had seemed relaxed, comfortable with the older gentleman she’d been conning. Now her focus was on some young, obnoxiously drunk guy who apparently knew Thea. The guy had a lot of people around him, so he wasn’t sure why Felicity would have her sights set on him in the first place. She also seemed nervous. Whatever her plan was, she didn’t give off the same confidence that he’d seen in her that night of the wedding.

“Yes,” Oliver answered her question slowly. “My sister Thea is the owner. Why?”

Felicity pointed toward the back door where the young, obnoxiously drunk guy was disappearing with his friends. He frowned, growing more and more curious by the second. “And _that’s_ the tech genius she’s meeting with?”

“Looks like...” Oliver mumbled back. Even though _that_ guy didn’t look like much of a genius to him. Thea swore the kid had good ideas to keep the club secure. 

Verdant was located in an old warehouse in the glades. There were a lot of break-ins and robberies in the area. A lot of crime. Thea just wanted to make sure that her club and the people who came to it would be safe. She said someone had reached out, promising some kind of cutting edge security system that would help.

“Listen to me, Oliver,” the seriousness in Felicity’s tone caught his attention. Her eyes focused on him, her hand landing on his arm to make sure he was paying attention. “That man’s name is Cooper Seldon. He’s up to some shady shit and I came to stop him. I need you to get me back there so I can do that, okay?” When he didn’t answer, she squeezed his arm, offering a smile to assure him that she was telling the truth. “Believe me, Cooper is not a good guy. If your sister is considering working with him in any way, he’s only going to hurt her. He destroys everything he touches.”

Oliver’s eyes flickered between hers, her blue eyes shining in the neon lights that flashed across her face. And maybe he was a fool, but he believed her. He could see fear in Felicity’s eyes, her desperation as she looked back to the door where Seldon had disappeared. 

_Still..._

“Did he destroy you?” Oliver couldn’t stop himself from asking.

Felicity raised her chin, meeting his gaze once again. “Yes, he did,” she whispered. If he wasn’t standing so close, he wouldn’t have heard her. “And I’d like to make sure he doesn’t do it to anyone else. Like your sister. Okay?”

“Okay,” Oliver nodded once. “Then let’s stop him.”

Of course, he had plenty of questions he still wanted to ask. Things he wanted to know about her, Cooper, and whatever the guy had done to her. But if someone who hurt Felicity was here at Verdant and somehow connected to Thea, then he was willing to step aside and help Felicity with anything she needed. “Can you get me out back? To your sister’s office?” She asked, pointing to the door.

“Yeah,” Oliver offered his hand, helping her off the stool. He didn’t bother trying to get any more information out of her. This one, he knew he’d just have to follow Felicity’s lead.

By the time they reached the back hall, Seldon and his entourage were already behind a closed door of Thea’s office. Oliver slowly approached it, trying to hear the muffled voices inside. Felicity kept herself close to his back, her ear pressed against the wall as she did the same. He could make out Thea’s voice through the muffled tones of men. And it made Oliver’s blood boil. Either his sister didn’t know that she was getting herself into trouble with a guy who...well, he still didn’t know what Cooper had done or would do, did he? He didn’t know much of anything aside from the fact that he was blindly trusting a beautiful stranger.

_A really beautiful stranger._

“Is that Thea?” Felicity asked in a whisper. Oliver nodded in confirmation, leaning closer to the door in an attempt to hear better. “What are they talking about?”

He hesitated, closing his eyes to focus on the barely audible words, trying to drown out the music coming from the club as well as the sounds of the kitchen staff not too far from them. “They’re talking about security for the club,” he whispered back. “Sounds like Seldon has a system he wants to sell to Thea?”

“No,” Felicity quickly shook her head, her face paling. “Oliver, it has to be a trick. It must be a trojan horse so he can use my codes and hack Verdant. Anyone who comes in here and pays with a credit card could have their bank account sucked dry if Cooper has access.”

Tipping his head towards Felicity, Oliver raised his eyebrows, “I’m sorry...super lost here. Your codes?”

“It’s a long story. I never intended on using them,” she huffed. “Cooper had other plans.”

Oliver suddenly straightened as he heard the voices getting closer. “They’re coming,” he grabbed Felicity, pulling her away. He heard the doorknob turn and then the door swing open, and they were still standing in the middle of the hallway. So he did the only thing he could do.

With his heart beating loudly in his chest, Oliver pushed open the closest door and shoved Felicity inside, quickly following her in. “Oliver—” she protested, a little breathless.

He held up a hand, listening at the door again. He could hear the group approaching, Thea’s voice becoming clear as she thanked the men for coming and told them she would make a decision about their proposal and get back to them the following day.

Oliver shook his head as he heard their footsteps fade. “Sorry,” he mumbled to Felicity, turning to face her. “I thought hiding was a better plan than explaining to my sister and your sleazy friend why we were eavesdropping.”

Felicity nodded once, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re right. Not exactly the easiest thing to bullshit our way out of.”

He smirked, “Between the two of us, we probably would have come up with something.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Well...I suppose I should introduce myself to your sister and explain what a big mistake it’d be to work with the spawn of Satan known as Cooper Seldon.”

“So you and Seldon...old buddies from college? You didn’t really go to Yale, did you?” He smirked, remembering the bluff they’d told in Coast City.

“No, I didn’t. Cooper and I met at MIT.” 

“And you two…” Oliver stepped aside as Felicity approached. 

“Dated,” she finished his sentence, raising her eyebrows as she leaned around him, going for the door.

She tried to open it once.

Then twice.

Then a third time.

“Uh, Oliver...it’s locked?”

He moved to her side, trying the door himself and getting the same result. “Shit. Thea mentioned she had to get one of the supply closet doors fixed...of course it has to be this one.”

“We’re stuck in here?”

He shook the doorknob, but the bolt didn’t budge. “Yeah, it looks like we are.”

“Don’t you have a cell phone? Call Thea and have her come let us out.”

He took out his phone and checked it, shaking his head with a sigh. “No signal. Do you have yours on you?”

“No, I left it in my room at the motel,” Felicity scoffed. “I’m here to ruin the life of my hacker ex-boyfriend. I wasn’t going to take any chances.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Oliver took a deep breath, “Alright, look, it’s opening night at a very busy club and we’re in the room with all the extra booze and glassware. Someone’s bound to come in here soon, right?”

She leveled him with an annoyed glare, “Shouldn’t you be more worried about this? It’s _your_ sister being preyed on by that asshole.”

Oliver gave her a sheepish grin. “You don’t know Thea. She’s a lot tougher than she looks. Too smart for her own good sometimes. That’s kind of how she came to own a bar at eighteen. Well, with my mom’s financial help, obviously–” He stopped as he realized that Felicity’s typical, annoyed glare had turned into a new, _murderous_ glare. 

“I told you that Cooper destroyed me.”

“Yeah…” He squeezed his lips together, hating the tone in her voice. Soft and sad. Vulnerable in a way he hadn’t seen Felicity yet.

She raised her eyebrows in challenge, and Oliver’s breath caught in his throat, the small room filling with tension. “So, do you think I’m not tough? Not smart? Or do you just not get how serious this is?”

He closed his eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that. Thea just told them that she’d make her decision by tomorrow. If my sister was in immediate danger, we’d be having a very different conversation.”

“Cooper is _dangerous,_ Oliver.”

“Well,” he sighed. “If that wasn’t a steel door, I’d break it down. If I had service, I’d call for help. But I don’t really see any other options here. Look, I know that I don’t know you, Felicity. But _tough_ and _smart_ are just about the only thing I can say about you for sure.” The look on her face didn’t change, still angry and still offended. 

_Shit._

“And obviously beautiful,” Oliver blurted out. “Very, very beautiful.” He might be making himself look like an idiot, but he liked it much better when she was flirting with him. And he was willing to look like an idiot to get himself back in her good graces.

After a moment of tense silence, Felicity sighed. Her shoulders slumped as she turned away from him. “So, what? We’re just supposed to wait until someone saves us and then find a way to stop Cooper tomorrow?”

Oliver bit his lip, trying not to grin because he knew it would piss her off. “We? Does that mean you’re going to let me help?”

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him, “It doesn’t look like I have much of a choice.”

“Well...since we’re stuck in here for now, we have some time…”

“I’m not having sex with you.”

Oliver’s eyes widened, “What? N–no! I was just going to say you should tell me more...about Cooper Seldon, I mean. I’d like to understand what Thea is dealing with.”

She watched him silently for a moment, and he wanted to kick himself for how nervous she made him. That was far from smooth, and his heart was pounding in his chest. Felicity walked closer, putting nothing more than a few inches between them. Her blue eyes were mesmerizing in the dark. And suddenly his thoughts were completely focused on those eyes that looked straight through him. To his soul. As if she could see every dark corner. And she didn’t turn away.

His gaze flickered to her hair, the waves of blonde that his fingers wanted to explore. Oliver clenched his hands at his sides.

He looked at her lips. A perfect shade of red that pouted up at him. “Are you saying you don’t want to have sex with me?”

All of the air left his lungs.

_Obviously he wasn’t saying that._

When they met a few weeks ago, he was the one who had wanted to see her again. His attraction to her was clear as day. There was no point in playing coy with a woman who knew his tricks. No point in playing games with someone who had never planned on seeing him again. 

“Are you trying to distract me from asking about your ex?” Felicity let out a sharp breath, and Oliver used her distraction to get back the upper hand. “So,” he took a step back, leaning against one of the shelves. “You steal from people to stop your ex-boyfriend from stealing from people?”

“He knows I’m after him. If I leave anything for him to trace, he’d find me.”

“What did you mean about your codes?”

Felicity sighed again, “I created a series of codes that could break through just about any firewall. I wanted to see if I could hack into the financial aid office at MIT and use the codes to clear everyone’s student debt. Think...college angst and vigilantism. Obviously it was all hypothetical. I never did anything more than get myself into the system, take a screenshot, and get out. But the codes were real. And Cooper stole them. He left MIT and I’ve been trying to find him ever since. I didn’t have much when I met Coop...but once he realized that I was on his tail, he used the codes to take everything I had. He makes a living by doing the same thing to other people. People like Thea.”

She’d meant what she said at the wedding. She had reasons for living the way that she did. She was on the lam. And now it made perfect sense why she’d gotten so offended that he lived freely for fun. Felicity was forced into a life of hiding, trying to right a wrong.

The woman had a weight on her chest that he never could have expected, and she barely let it show.

“Have you called the police?” he asked.

“Would you call a lifeguard if your house was on fire?” she quipped back. “No, I didn’t go to the police because there’s nothing they can do. By the time they catch up to him, he’d know their every move. I have to take him down myself.”

Oliver took a moment to absorb her words. Even if Felicity wanted to stop somewhere and make a home for herself, to settle down, Cooper Seldon would always hang over her life like a dark cloud. Closing his eyes, Oliver shook his head as he remembered the first interaction he’d had with her. He’d been so... _glib_. And here she was, caught in the middle of something that she shouldn’t have to be worrying about. 

“Okay,” he said slowly, moving closer as the pieces came into focus. There was clarity in his next words. Certainty. “Then at least let me help you.”

Felicity cocked her head to the side, “There’s not much that you can do to help me while we’re trapped in here.”

“You could tell me what your plan is,” Oliver shrugged. “And then once we get out of here, we can go from there.”

She looked at him. Studied him. Like she was trying to gauge whether or not she could trust him. And Oliver simply held her gaze, offering a small smile of assurance. “Thea is in this thing now too, right?” He spoke quietly. Felicity nodded. “So...if you don’t want to let me help you, then at least let me help _her_.”

That seemed to convince her.

Felicity nodded, “Okay, well...once we talk to Thea and explain what’s going on, I think we could use Cooper’s little con to our advantage.”

“You mean, have Thea go along with the whole security system thing?”

“Yeah, but obviously I would be there to make sure Cooper doesn’t actually do any damage. He might have those damn codes, but they’re outdated. I made them years ago...and I was always smarter than him.”

Oliver couldn’t help but smirk at that, meeting Felicity’s eyes. And he suddenly realized just how close they were. Tucked between a wall and one of the shelves of the storage room was a tight fit...but he really didn’t need to hover over her like this. Yet he didn’t move. Because Felicity didn’t seem to mind. “Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Oliver mumbled, his eyes dancing with hers.

She smiled back.

Bright and honest.

Probably the first genuine smile he’d seen from Felicity Smoak.

_And god, it was a beautiful smile._

He cleared his throat, fighting the sudden impulse he felt to kiss her. “So, we get out of here, tell Thea to work with Seldon, and then con the con artist...how, exactly?”

“Once Cooper gains access to Thea’s security, I can piggyback off his spyware, do a little keylogging, and then I’ll have total control over everything he sees without him knowing that I’m there. Then I’ll be able to cipher my codes so that when he tries to use them, they won’t be the same and it won’t work. And all the while, I can get proof of everything Cooper has done. If I hand that over to the cops, it’ll be game over for him.”

She was still smiling at him, the look on her face growing more and more excited as she spoke. And it was still beautiful.

“Aside from the fact that I don’t know what half those words mean,” Oliver teased, “I guess that sounds pretty straightforward?”

“Yeah,” Felicity let out a sharp breath. “It is, actually. It’s quite simple.” Then she laughed, “You know, after all this time chasing Coop, and running from him, it almost seems impossible that it could be so simple. Part of me felt like one of us would have to die for it to finally be over.”

Unable to stop himself, Oliver reached up to brush Felicity’s hair back, tucking a stray piece behind her ear. He’d been a fool to think that he could see through this woman. That night they met, he’d been arrogant to assume that she was anything like him. The truth was...she was so much better. Smarter than he even realized. And he’d been dead wrong about her motives. He couldn’t imagine how stressful her life must have been, consumed in a game of cat and mouse with this Seldon asshole who took everything from her.

Oliver also realized that what Cooper did must have hurt Felicity. Deeply. More than she let on.

Her eyes didn’t waver from his, her lips trembling as she took a shaky breath. “Would you come back to Thea’s with me tonight?” he whispered. “I’d feel a lot better if you stayed with us instead of in a motel.”

Felicity tried and failed to fight a smile, tipping her cheek against the palm of his hand. “Careful, Oliver. I might get the idea that you care.”

“I do care. I like you, Felicity. That’s why I wanted to see you again.” He chuckled, “I just didn’t expect it to be here.”

Felicity hesitated, glancing around the room in confusion. “This storage room?”

“No,” he chuckled. “Well, yes. But also Starling. I didn’t think I’d come back. At least not now...but like I said, my sister is pretty headstrong. She tends to get her way if she puts her mind to something.”

“But...you said Thea lives here, right? What about your parents?”

“They’re here, too. I grew up in this city.”

She watched him curiously for a moment before asking, “So it’s your home...why wouldn’t you want to come back to it?”

Oliver shrugged, taking a step back as he looked away from her. There were plenty of reasons why Starling put a knot in his stomach. Plenty of stories. Most of which involved him hurting people that he cared about. His family had money and power here. It was only when he took off on his own, stripping himself of all of it, that Oliver truly found happiness. Figured out who he was. “Bad memories, I guess… Mistakes. There are some old friends here who are happier when I’m not around. I kind of used to be an asshole.”

Sleeping with his best friend’s girlfriend, _and_ her sister, behind _all_ of their backs...was rock bottom. He deserved to be called more than an asshole. In fact, Tommy, Laurel, and Sara had all used much more accurate and colorful language to describe what a piece of shit he was.

Oliver knew that it wasn’t something they would never move past. There was no forgiving and forgetting something like that. The worst part was that he still couldn’t admit why he would destroy his friendship with all three of them. Even to himself. Maybe he truly didn’t give a shit about anyone but himself or maybe he wanted to completely wreck his life to make it easier to leave Starling behind. Either way, he’d sabotaged everything. And he’d done it on purpose. That much, he’d come to terms with. And deep down, there was a piece of him that would always hate himself for that.

“ _Used to be_ an asshole?” Felicity teased, pulling him from the thoughts that he tried so hard to run from. Starling had a way of reopening those wounds.

Oliver gave her a sheepish grin, “Trust me, you might not agree with my free and easy outlook on life, but you would have hated the guy that I used to be even more.”

“Well, I don’t hate you now, so I guess that’s all that matters.”

He watched her for a moment, debating if he should let that one slide without comment or if he should challenge her. Since he’d already let her get away once, Oliver figured he might as well push his luck. “What happens next, Felicity Smoak? When this is all over, I mean. Where will you go?”

She shrugged, “Las Vegas, probably.”

Raising an eyebrow, Oliver continued to watch her. She was quite the mystery, that was for sure. “To celebrate that your psychotic ex-boyfriend will finally be behind bars?”

Felicity laughed, sounding as if she expected the question. “To see my mom, actually. She lives there.”

The information surprised him. The fact that she even shared it with him surprised him. And it made him realize that he really didn’t know the first thing about her. Yet their chemistry was undeniable. Made him feel like he knew her better than he truly did. And that made him smile. “Maybe after this...you could actually give me a call this time,” he teased.

She narrowed her eyes, “What if I lost your number?”

“Did you?”

“No,” Felicity sighed. “That receipt is still in my purse.”

Oliver took a step closer, undoing all of that distance he’d put between them until he was once again in Felicity’s bubble, his nose mere inches from hers. “So why didn’t you ever use it?” he asked softly. “Because of Cooper?” He wanted an answer, he’d been wanting one every day since he watched her drive off in Coast City, but he didn’t want to be demanding about it.

“Yes,” Felicity sighed. “And no. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me but it’s more...the tension.”

“Between us?” he asked with a frown.

Felicity nodded and Oliver held his breath. “I’m sorry,” he grit out, leaning back to give her some space. He knew he could be intense, and for some reason he was especially heated when it came to _her_. “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“No,” she whispered, reaching up to get a hold of his collar, pulling his attention back to her. Felicity’s eyes flickered to his mouth, her lips twitching with a smile. “You don’t make me uncomfortable. It’s...a different kind of tension.”

“ _Oh_ ,” he breathed. 

“Yeah...oh.”

She smiled at him now, and he completely understood what she was talking about. Standing in a dark closet with this beautiful woman, each of them gazing at the other’s mouth as if a dam was about to break; a rush of passion, clothes cascading on the floor, letting themselves get swept with the current...he understood.

Oliver could see the scene playing out. And he knew, with both of them right on the edge of jumping in, that it would be _incredible_ once they did.

“What happens next, Oliver Queen?” Felicity murmured, her eyes piercing through him as she repeated his earlier question. The look in her eyes was playful, her fingers still holding his collar, brushing against the skin on his neck. He wondered if she could feel the way his pulse was racing.

Oliver swallowed thickly, unable to take his eyes off of her. And then Felicity smirked.

Like she was _challenging_ him. 

_God, he wanted to kiss her. So bad._

She could be gone by morning.

She could disappear as soon as they got out of that damn storage room.

She could destroy his heart before he even knew what hit him. He knew she could. 

But he also knew that it would be worth it.

Decision made, Oliver leaned forward, not hesitating for even a moment as he kissed her. Hard. And Felicity responded with just as much urgency.

His fingers anchored themselves on her hips and his tongue swept into her mouth.

Her hands dove into his hair and her body rocked against his.

Their clothes were tossed carelessly across the room, each of them removing the other’s. Their lips desperately fused together every time they had to part for air, their breaths heavy. Oliver picked her up and turned towards the nearest surface. His movement was rough as he pressed her against the storage racks, sending a box of silverware crashing to the floor in the process. Neither of them noticed. Felicity moaned, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth as she clung to him. 

They gave as good as they got. They pushed and they pulled until they eventually sank to the floor.

They _jumped._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you think in the comments!  
> Amazing gif by the one and only magda1102 :)


	3. only one

The people in the bar were packed in like sardines. But Oliver was right, the place was definitely worth the stop. He’d spent more time in Coast City than she ever had, so it was a nice change of pace for Felicity to simply sit back and go along for the ride. And the relaxed atmosphere, good people, and of course, the drinks, all made it seem easy. She’d enjoyed quite a few of the bar’s half-priced margaritas. Enough of them that after an hour or two, fighting her way through the crowd to get to the ladies’ room became a necessity when her bladder caught up to her. 

Unfortunately, making her way back through the sea of people towards the table she’d left Oliver was even more difficult than leaving it. The crowd seemed to have grown even larger while she’d been waiting in line for the restroom, leaving her to duck and weave between the boisterous groups. Just as Felicity reached the table, she felt her phone buzz in her back pocket.

Frowning, she pulled it out. And when she saw the name and accompanying photo on the screen, she internally groaned. Flashing Oliver a smile, she waved her phone at him and pointed to the front door that luckily wasn’t too far away. He nodded in acknowledgement, still distracted by the young guy that he was speaking with. By the looks of it, her boyfriend was still debating with the stranger. It was something about sports, so Felicity didn’t really mind taking the phone call. She knew exactly what it would be about, and it was still more interesting that batting averages.

Finally reaching the door, Felicity pushed it open and stepped outside, resisting the urge to throw her fist up in triumph once she'd escaped. 

Because _holy shit,_ it was twenty degrees cooler out there than in the bar.

She answered her phone, narrowly missing the call. “Hey, Thea.”

“I’m so sorry to bother you!” the younger woman greeted.

“It’s okay,” Felicity sighed, grateful for the fresh air. A call from one of her favorite people wasn’t so bad, either. “What’s up?”

“I–uh…” 

Felicity rolled her eyes. “You forgot the combination for the basement door at Verdant again, didn’t you?”

“Yes!” Thea exclaimed. “How could I not!? It’s totally random and you won’t let me write it down.”

“That’s the point,” Felicity countered. “It’s supposed to be meaningless. And I really don’t need to explain to you why you shouldn’t leave your passwords lying around on paper somewhere when we _just_ stopped your business from becoming a hacker’s paradise.”

Her friend offered a groan in response, familiar with Felicity’s soapbox at this point. “I know, I know. Which is why I haven’t written it down and I call you instead.”

“You’ll remember it eventually,” Felicity couldn’t help but laugh. Part of her was convinced that Thea wasn’t as forgetful as she seemed, and only used the forgotten passwords as an excuse to check in on her and Oliver. Not that Felicity would ever point that out.

“I just used the same password for everything,” Thea answered simply. “Basically since I was old enough to have email, my password has been the name of this fish that mom let me and Ollie get when we were kids. Squid. And my birthday.”

Felicity hesitated, knowing that Thea was taunting her because she _knew_ it would get under her skin. But she also fully believed that the young woman would have passwords like that. “Don’t tell me that, okay? I want to continue being friends with you.”

Thea laughed on the other end, “Fine, fine. So what’s the code?”

Felicity rattled it off for her and then she had to ask, unable to resist the bait, “You and Oliver had a fish named Squid?” 

“Yep. Our one and only pet,” Thea answered. “It was a disaster. We fed him too much. He didn’t last very long. Ollie was a wreck when we came home from school and found him floating in the little tank.”

In the last two months, she’d gotten to know both of the Queen siblings quite well. They were _not_ pet people. Although she’d already told Oliver that if he wanted any kind of future with her, he was going to have to get used to the idea of owning a cat someday. She’d always wanted one. And now that she wouldn’t be sleeping in a different motel room in a different city every week…she wanted a pet. Maybe even a dog. Oliver definitely seemed like more of a dog type of person, if he _were_ to get a pet, of course.

“Alright Thea,” Felicity pulled herself from her daydreams. “Is there anything else you need before I let you go?”

Thea chuckled, “You forget that you don’t work for me anymore.”

“Maybe not,” Felicity smiled, turning around to look back inside. Through the window, she could see Oliver sitting at the bar, deep in conversation with his new friend. “But I’m still happy to help. If you ever need me.”

“And that’s how I came to love you just as quickly as my brother did,” Thea sang.

Felicity snorted, “Yeah, yeah, you grew on me too, but I think that’s enough of the touchy-feely stuff for now.”

Thea laughed, “Fair enough. “Where are you, anyway?”

“At a bar in Coast City,” Felicity answered. “It’s one of Oliver’s favorites.”

“Ah,” Thea acknowledged, “sounds like him. And when will you be home?”

“A day or two,” she shrugged even though Thea couldn’t see it. The drive back to Starling was coming to a close. Her time with Oliver was far from over, but it definitely felt like they were closing a chapter. And both of them were dragging their feet to do it. “Maybe three.”

“Definitely sounds like _both_ of you,” the younger woman teased. Then she hesitated, her voice quieter and more serious as she asked, “And...are there any other stops you have planned before coming back to town?”

Felicity blinked, frowning as she tried to figure out what Thea was fishing for. But it was late, she was tired, and there were too many margaritas in her stomach to play games. “We haven't been planning any of this trip, besides visiting my mom, of course. That’s kind of the point of the adventure, you know?”

“I know, it’s just...you said you’re in Coast City, and that’s not too far from a certain prison where a certain ex-boyfriend of yours happens to be.”

Just thinking about Cooper made Felicity feel tense, which is why Thea knew to avoid it. Unfortunately, mentioning _that_ monster had the same effect, whether by name or not. “Thea,” she warned, her voice low. “I have no intention of seeing him. Ever. We’ve been over this.”

“I _know,_ it’s just...” her friend said again, with more conviction this time. “My lawyer said that after the trial, Cooper only wanted to speak to you. Aren’t you at least a little bit curious about what he had to say?”

“No,” Felicity snapped. “Coop had plenty of time to clear the air when I was living like a drifter, chasing him, and terrified that he’d take everything from me if he found out. Anything he wants to say from behind the bars of a federal prison will just be more mind games. It’s what he does. And I don’t need to see him to figure that out. So...drop it, okay?”

Thea sighed, and Felicity was grateful that the girl had thick skin. “I’m not asking for him,” she replied, unbothered by Felicity’s rude tone. “I just mean it might be good for _you_ to say what you want to say. Get closure. Heal and move on.”

“I’m fine, Thea,” Felicity said quietly. And it was true. Maybe someday, she’d want to have a conversation with Cooper Seldon. But that day wasn’t today. Or any day in the near future. But Felicity was okay with that. She had closure. Her ex-boyfriend was a selfish asshole and that probably wasn’t going to change. Even if it did...it wouldn’t change what he did to her. 

She was healing and moving on. And she didn’t need _anything_ from him to do it.

“Okay,” Thea relented. “Okay, I’ll drop it now. For good. I promise. I just want you to know that I only ask because I care about you.”

And what a strange feeling that was. To know that people cared about her, and to feel the same way back. “I know,” Felicity mumbled. “Thank you for that.”

“Well,” her friend perked up, happily changing the subject, “I can’t wait to have you and Ollie back in town. Don’t tell my brother, but I’m kind of bored without him.”

“Secret’s safe with me,” Felicity chuckled.

“Have fun and be safe. Bring my brother back in one piece, okay?”

“I will. We’ll you soon.”

“You better. Talk to you later, Felicity!”

It was her last adventure with Oliver. At least for a while. Their little road trip was coming to a close. And then they would be moving into the Queen mansion (yes, _mansion_ ) to stay with Oliver’s mom for the time being. By next week, Felicity and Oliver would both be starting new jobs in Starling City. They would be saving money of their own. They would figure out their lives and take things as they come. They would _stay._

It was a plan, but it wasn’t set in stone. 

And that was the way that they liked it.

Committing to Starling for now didn’t mean they had to commit to it forever. Felicity understood that they both needed to acknowledge that, since neither of them were in the right place, or the right headspace, to be making lifelong decisions. For now, they were both happy just to stop moving. They were enjoying each other and getting to know each other. 

For Oliver and Felicity, there was comfort knowing that they always had choices. An out. The option to pack a bag and run if that was what they wanted. They’d talked about it for hours until they realized that they were on the same page. There was only one thing that Oliver would need if he decided to leave home again. And there was only one deal breaker that would stop Felicity from running.

Each other.

As long as they had each other, they knew that they could be happy anywhere.

After stopping Cooper, which went exactly according to plan, thanks to Oliver’s idea and Thea’s assistance, Felicity had decided to stick around Starling to help Verdant with a _real_ security system. It was a job, and Thea paid well. At least, that was how Felicity justified the choice to herself at first...

Oliver decided to stay in town, too. Even though he insisted that he wasn’t hanging around for _her,_ Felicity knew that he probably would have been long gone if she didn’t accept Thea’s offer. The system took about two months to perfect, and during that time, Oliver and Felicity went on a date. Then a few more. They talked a lot, falling into something that was new and exciting for both of them. They got to know each other and were pleasantly surprised that the feelings they shared kept getting bigger. 

Of course, all the while, they struggled to keep their hands off of each other. The night in the storage room provided a sample of what they were capable of bringing out in one another, and eventually they stopped trying to ignore that part of their connection.

And thank _god_ they did.

Once Felicity was done with Verdant, she and Oliver left Starling, setting off on a road trip to visit her mom in Vegas. For the first time ever, Felicity introduced Donna Smoak to one of her boyfriends. And it was just as chaotic as she expected it to be.

It made her sad to leave Vegas again. To say goodbye to her mom again. Yet, Felicity didn’t feel like she was going home until they were in the car and heading back to Starling City. She had a future to look forward to there. A new job that she was excited about. New friends. A whole new life to start where she could finally leave Cooper in the past.

But she knew that the homey feeling that washed over her when she thought about Starling had everything to do with Oliver. She got that feeling just by looking at him...

Felicity’s eyes move to the window again, taking in the man that she’d fallen for. So hard and so fast that it should terrify her. Which, okay, sometimes it did. But most of the time, she just felt grateful that it happened. And no matter what happened, she couldn’t picture a day where she would ever stop feeling grateful that she met Oliver Queen. 

Making her way back inside, Felicity kept her eyes on Oliver. She squeezed her way through the crowd again, heading for the bar. 

He saw her coming, his face immediately relaxing as he held out his arms for her. “There you are,” Oliver pulled her between his legs, hugging her tight. “You okay?” he mumbled in her ear.

“Yeah,” Felicity nodded, smiling when she felt him press a kiss to her hair. “Thea called.”

Oliver groaned, “Don’t tell me that she forgot her passwords again.”

“Mmm, alright. I won’t tell you.”

He huffed out a laugh, making room for her to stand between him and the bar. Oliver pressed his chest against her back, his hands on her hips. His mouth dropped to press a kiss, or three, to her shoulder. Felicity grinned, leaning into his embrace. “So,” he mumbled into the skin of her neck, his voice too quiet to be heard over the music, but close enough to her ear that it sent a shiver down her spine. “Are you ready to head back to Starling?”

“I am,” Felicity tilted her head, her hands squeezing his forearms where he held her. “Are you sure that you are?”

_That was the question._

They hadn’t talked much about what happened between him and his friends. Or rather, his mess of friends and girlfriends and sisters. To be honest, Felicity didn’t want to know unless he wanted to talk about it with her. 

His past was his own. Just like hers was her own.

There were things they should share, and things that they shouldn’t. And Felicity was much more interested in their present and their future than anything he’d done before they met. She was already certain that the mistakes Oliver made before weren’t going to change how she felt about him now. How could that be fair? He was different. He’d learned. Now...he was _hers._

“It’s a big city,” Oliver shrugged. “I’m sure we can all live in it without the world imploding.” 

Looking at him over her shoulder, Felicity tried to read the look in his eyes, seeing that he truly believed it. She smiled, “You’re right. I think we’ll be okay.”

“I know we will,” Oliver grinned back, leaning in for a kiss that she happily reciprocated.

“Still,” she sighed, nestling into his arms. “We don’t have to go back, you know.”

Oliver groaned into her shoulder, "Don't tease me," he mumbled, squeezing her tighter. "Besides, what would my mom think if you bailed on your new job with QC? And if I missed my opportunity to work with the head chef at Table Salt?”

Chewing on her lip, Felicity grumbled her agreement. He was right. Of course he was. Oliver Queen had a terrible habit of doing that sometimes. “Your mom _does_ seem pretty excited about having us live with her.”

“Luckily it’s also a big mansion,” he pointed out.

Felicity rolled her eyes and nudged him. “Your mother was kind to offer. And it's just for a little while, right? We’re both in a place in life where we could use the help. So...I’m trying to learn how to take it. Plus, we’re both broke, so free room and board in a fancy mansion isn’t something I’m going to stick my nose up at.”

Oliver hummed, “You’re forgetting Raisa’s cooking. She makes all the meals and her roast chicken is incredible. I told you that she’s a big reason I love to cook, right?”

Felicity paused, letting his words settle in her tipsy, slow-to-process brain. Yes, he had mentioned their housekeeper Raisa and everything she’d done for him and Thea when they were growing up. And the fact that she had taught him how to cook. Yet, Felicity didn’t really make the connection… “Wait, are you saying you have someone that cooks your every meal? Just like...food, whatever you want, whenever you want it?”

“Well I’m not saying she’s a genie, but essentially, yes.”

Her eyes widened, “Oh frack. I’m going to want to live at your mom’s forever. Goodbye, independence. Hello, Raisa.”

At that, Oliver laughed. “Hey, I could bring one family heirloom to the pawn shop and have us on a beach in Bali by morning. I could make you food, whatever you want, whenever you want it. Just say the word.”

Shaking her head in amusement, Felicity turned to look at him. “And then what?”

Oliver raised his eyebrows, “And then we drink, enjoy paradise, and make love to each other for years and years.”

“Years and years?” Felicity frowned, repeating the phrase without thinking. In her head, she couldn't help but wonder how _many_ years they could live like that. How many years until they got tired of each other and wanted something different? But in reality, she wasn't ready to ask that question out loud.

He stared back at her, “Well...yeah. There's no time limit on how I feel about you, Felicity.”

Her frown deepened, “It sounds like a dream, Oliver. But all dreams end, don’t they?”

A smile pulled at his lips. And his eyes were softer when he met her gaze again. “Not this one,” Oliver answered confidently. “Not you.”

“You think that we could be grifters for the rest of our lives?”

“No,” Oliver shook his head. “I think that we could be _happy_ for the rest of our lives. Together.”

Felicity’s breath caught in her throat, “Oliver…”

“Come on,” He moved away before she could find a response to _that_ comment. Offering his hand, Oliver smiled as if he didn’t just unleash a frenzy of butterflies on her margarita-filled stomach. “Let’s get out of here.”

Knowing that it was one of their last nights before all that grown-up shit started, Felicity pouted. “I don’t want to go back to the hotel yet.”

“Okay,” Oliver tossed down some cash on the bar before finishing his beer. “We won’t.” She watched him, still pouting, and he leaned down for a kiss, the kind where she could feel him smiling as he pressed his lips to hers.

And...yep, that still took her breath away too.

“Then where are we going?” Felicity asked, her mouth lazily tracing his, chasing after him when he tried to pull back.

Oliver smiled, kissing her again. “I have an idea.”

Then he took her hand, and like the night they met and many nights to come, Felicity put her trust in Oliver Queen. She followed him without another word. Without question. Because now more than ever, she knew that he would be right there with her. 

Wherever they went.

* * *

Oliver drove with one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on Felicity’s knee. The closer he got to the country club, the more anxious he could feel Felicity getting. She began to fidget in her seat, her eyebrows furrowing as if she recognized the streets he was taking her down but she didn’t want to ask.

And he couldn’t help but watch the wheels turn in her brain, fighting a smile and keeping his mouth shut. He waited for her to finally ask, but to her credit, his girlfriend didn’t question him until they were pulling into the parking lot of a familiar, fancy country club. As he drove up to the curb, Felicity whipped her head to look at him, her eyes widening. “You can’t be serious,” she blanched.

Oliver smirked, giving her a small shrug. “What better way to close out this chapter in our lives than returning to the place where we met?”

“You mean the wedding where I tried to swindle an old man and you were the guest of some woman you’d been casually sleeping with for a week? Oh yeah, Oliver, _great_ memories here!”

He got out, opening the door for Felicity and passing his keys to the valet. The glare she gave him was deadly, so much so that he wondered if she was about to cross her arms and pout, refusing to get out of the car. But with an irritated groan, Felicity eventually took his hand, clutching on to him as he led her to the front door. Oliver squeezed her hand, “Okay, so it wasn’t the most romantic of meetings,” he admitted. “But I love where it led us. I’ve loved these last two months with you and I love _you._ ”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. Honey, of course,” Felicity gently patted his chest, “me too. But that doesn’t mean we have to come back _here._ ”

Kissing her forehead, Oliver guided her through the country club and into the bar. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so fidgety,” he mumbled in her ear. “At least...not unless I have my mouth—”

“Oliver!” She hissed, slapping his chest harder now.

The atmosphere in the bar was definitely different than the last time he'd seen her walk through those doors. This time, it wasn’t her nerves, and determination, and ultimately a compulsive need for justice, that carried her across the floor. It was a warm hand on the base of her spine. _His_ hand.

Oliver picked a table in the back of the room, and Felicity sat down with a huff, her eyes scanning the room. There weren’t as many people in there now. The lights were brighter, more welcoming. The tables were set up casually rather than arranged for a wedding reception. But he could tell that Felicity still felt out of place. “Don’t you have to be a member of this country club to come in here or something?” she asked.

Oliver shrugged, watching as Felicity ran her palms over the tops of her thighs, smoothing her dress. “I don’t think anyone actually cares,” he answered quietly, "as long as we pay." 

"Cute."

He nudged his knee against hers underneath the table until she looked at him again. “This is _not_ a big deal, Felicity. You realize that neither of us broke any laws, right? It was a wedding. No one even remembers that we were here.”

“Then why do I feel like I’m returning to the scene of a crime? _My_ crime.”

Oliver laughed, and Felicity narrowed her eyes at him. 

_Okay then. Not funny._ He was starting to regret coming here. “Alright, alright,” Oliver sighed, putting his elbows on the table to lean closer. “How about we just pretend to fit in then? Like a game, or a—”

“Con?” Felicity quickly finished for him. 

_Oh._ That _could be fun._ The smirk he gave her in response made her blush. And seeing that blush made him swell with pride. Desire. Adrenaline. It all mixed together whenever she looked at him like this. Like he surprised her. Excited her. But most importantly, she trusted him enough that she could feel those things without any fear.

Plus, it made her agreeable to just about anything.

Felicity shook her head, like she knew all of his tricks. His charm. Like she could see right through him and understood why he always got his way. He had a smile that was impossible to say no to. At least, so he’d been told. 

Taking a deep breath, Felicity relaxed her shoulders as Oliver arched an eyebrow. He was challenging her, and she knew it. “Sure,” she answered after a moment. “Not a big deal, right?”

His smile widened, knowing that he won.

But if he’d been a little bit smarter, Oliver would have realized that Felicity wasn’t going to make it quite so easy on him.

Of course, she wouldn't simply sit and share a meal with him. All he wanted was for her to relax, enjoy herself...but _of course_ Felicity had other ideas.

When the waitress came to take their orders, his girlfriend was the first to notice. And as soon as the woman was within earshot, Felicity put on the best performance she possibly could.

“Oh, Oliver!” she gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth in feigned surprise. 

He gaped at her, his eyes widening in confusion as heads started to turn in their direction. Just as the waitress reached their table, and just as Oliver was opening his mouth to ask what was happening, Felicity blurted, “Yes! Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

Oliver choked on his own breath, his eyes bugging comically. And Felicity offered him the same cocky smirk that she’d learned from him. Luckily, the waitress saved him from finding a response. The girl, who looked like she must still be in high school, squealed in delight as she heard Felicity’s outburst. “Oh em gee!” She bounced up and down in front of them, dropping her pen as she clapped her hands together. “Did you two just get engaged!?”

“We did!” Felicity answered, sounding just as excited. She reached over for Oliver’s hands across the table, taking them in each of hers and squeezing tight. “Isn’t this just the happiest day of our lives, honey!?”

Oliver cleared his throat, his face pale as he forced a smile, looking from Felicity up to their eager waitress. “It sure is,” he grit out, glancing at Felicity for help, but she just winked.

The young girl started rambling about how she’d been working at the country club for years but had never witnessed a proposal. “Oh you two are just the most attractive couple, like, ever! Can I see your ring!?”

Now, the people around them were starting to stare. Most of them were clued in because of the young waitress, who spoke unnecessarily loud in her excitement. 

“Well,” Felicity put on a confident smile. “He doesn’t have it yet. Decided to ask before he picked one up.” Oliver wasn’t sure if she didn’t notice the attention they were garnering, or if she didn’t care. And damn him, either way, she was sexy as hell when she smiled like that. Confident and calm. It was the first thing about Felicity Smoak that had intrigued him. This side of her. There were so many more sides of her that he loved just as much, but this first one had a special place in his heart.

The con artist.

The woman who looked like she knew a secret, and he just wanted the chance to be in on it.

As if she could read his mind, Felicity cocked an eyebrow and patted his hand. “My man here is quite spontaneous like that,” she murmured in that seductive voice of hers, like the words were just for him.

And for a split second, he wished that he really _had_ just proposed. 

“Oh my god,” the waitress gushed, slapping her hand to her heart. “That’s so romantic! Let me get you guys a bottle of champagne! On the house! I’ll be right back!”

As she ran off, Felicity smiled, watching after her. Then she picked up her water glass, tossing a wave to an older couple a few tables away as she avoided Oliver’s waiting gaze. “What was _that?”_ he asked, keeping his voice low to avoid the other nosy customers who still watched them.

Felicity shrugged, nonchalant, “That was me getting us a bottle of fancy champagne for free. You’re welcome.”

Oliver huffed out a laugh, “First I could barely convince you to walk through the front door and now you’re making a spectacle of us.”

She leaned closer, her eyes glinting in the warm lights, “I’ve got to keep you on your toes somehow, don’t I?”

He smiled, shaking his head.

The champagne came shortly after that, and then the food, which apparently was also free tonight, thanks to Felicity's little ruse. Their waitress hovered through most of the meal, and after their food and most of the bottle was gone, Felicity struck up a conversation with the older couple sitting near them.

Oliver watched in wonderment as the gray haired woman told Felicity all about how she met her husband at the beach one summer, the two of them chatting as if they were old friends instead of strangers. She explained that they fell in love and got married quickly. She told Felicity and Oliver all about how they built a family and spent the better part of their adult lives raising six kids. And now, as the stranger explained, they lived in contentment and retirement with nine grandchildren to entertain and spoil.

 _It didn’t sound like a bad life. Not_ at all, _actually…_

As he listened to their story, Oliver could tell that Felicity was enraptured, hanging on every word. He could tell that his girlfriend was fascinated by them, by their love, and the look in her eye changed something inside of him that night. 

It opened up a door, just a crack, that neither of them had even dared to knock on.

Marriage. Kids. Being able to look at their life together and realize that they didn’t want to take things day by day anymore. They wanted to plan. They wanted to talk about a future, what they hoped to have by the time they were sixty. How they wanted to feel.

Oliver knew that it was far too soon for any of that, but he also knew that Felicity was someone he wanted to be with forever. He didn’t care how patient he needed to be or if he had to spend his entire life taking things day by day because that’s what made her comfortable. But in that moment, he could see it in Felicity’s eyes. 

She wasn’t afraid.

“So,” he cleared his throat, distracting himself from those thoughts before he got too carried away. Smiling at the couple, he asked, “What’s the secret to all those years of happiness?”

The older gentleman, who mostly kept quiet throughout the conversation, piped up. “Learning to love a woman who will always keep a piece of her heart with her first love."

The older woman pinched her lips together, glancing apologetically at the man. "Leo was my husband, the one I've been talking about. This is my boyfriend Frank."

Out of the corner of his eye, Oliver could see Felicity go still, having drawn the same conclusion that he had. As the woman told them her life story, they'd incorrectly assumed that the man sitting across from her was the same man in her story. But that, as they both realized, apparently wasn't the case...

The gray haired woman patted her dinner companion's hand, "I'm sorry, dear," she apologized, and then she looked at Oliver and Felicity, her expression still sheepish. "Sometimes when I see young people so in love, I get carried away with those memories. My husband and I lived a full life. He passed away four years ago. I think what Frank is trying to say is that it takes a very patient, kind-hearted man to love a woman like me," she chuckled.

Oliver’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, still processing. He leaned in closer, "I'm sorry, I...”

Letting him off the hook, the woman waved her wrinkled hand, smiling fondly. "The bottom line is...people change. They grow. Many marriages end because people believe that those experiences and those years have changed their feelings, not just who they become. And maybe for some, it does. Leo and I just realized that...whatever happened, and whoever we grew to be, that we would accept each other. We could change together and on our own, but our love for one another would always stay the same. We both agreed that our love was strong enough for that. And we were right. Feelings like that last forever." Then she winked at Frank, squeezing his hand over the table, "It takes a strong person to keep going, afterwards, and even if you don't plan on finding love again, sometimes it happens anyway. Frank and I did...and I believe that we were meant to find each other."

As the restaurant slowly started to clear out and they had finished a second bottle of champagne (this time they shared it with the older couple), Oliver and Felicity said goodbye (this time Felicity gladly took down the email address of her newfound friend so they could keep in touch). 

On the drive back to the motel, his girlfriend was relatively quiet, lost in her own thoughts. And Oliver was pretty sure that whatever she was feeling, he was feeling it, too.

From the bottom of his heart, Oliver knew that Felicity was all in. That they both could see the value in spending time together. Being together. Living together. Learning about each other as they learned about themselves.

Neither of them would ever regret this relationship.

Of that, he felt certain.

Which...was all fine and good. But he knew that someday, things wouldn’t be as easy as they are now. There were plenty of things, serious things, that the two of them had never discussed. And there were plenty of reasons why. 

But he could guess where Felicity's head was at. Even if they got through all of that hard stuff, even if they managed to stay together until they were old and gray, there was always the chance of losing each other. It was a depressing thought. A thought that might have never entered their minds, at least not now, if not for the woman at the restaurant.

He knew that Felicity was afraid of getting her heart broken, and it was as if the stranger's life story reminded them that sometimes, it was unavoidable. He also knew that it was completely unfair to be thinking like that when they were in their twenties, and that it was silly to let the woman's words, or that fear, stop them from living their lives. But Oliver could also sense that Felicity just needed time with her own thoughts.

He sighed, tightening his hand on the wheel and cursing their talkative company. As nice as the couple seemed, it was kind of a mood killer. Because they were _seriously_ too young to be worrying about this shit. 

When Oliver and Felicity got back to the motel, she was still pretty quiet, deciding to take a shower while Oliver climbed right into bed and turned the TV on to check the score from the Starling City Rockets game earlier.

It wasn’t until later that night, while they were lying in bed, trying to sleep, preparing for a long day of driving, that Oliver finally made a confession.

“It doesn’t scare me, Felicity,” he said into the darkness, knowing that she would understand exactly what he meant. “The only thing that scares me is the idea of giving up on this. On what we have. I don't want to question what could have been when it comes to you.”

He watched Felicity turn over, her eyes meeting his through the dim light that poured in from a streetlight outside the window. She stared at him for a moment, her hand sliding across the blanket until she grasped his fingers. Then Felicity smiled, moving closer to nestle her nose against his neck, “I can’t tell you what I want in ten years, Oliver…” she whispered. “But I know I’ll want you. I know that’s not a promise of six children and nine grandchildren, but it’s the only thought I kept coming back to all night. That I have no idea what I want now that Cooper is gone and I’m finally done hiding, but I'm excited because whatever it is, I want it with _you_.”

“Okay,” he quickly nodded, so easily agreeable to anything she said if she kept talking like that.

It wasn’t until later that week, while they were moving into the Queen mansion, trying to decide where to store Felicity’s collection of Doctor Who merchandise, that Felicity finally made a confession of her own.

In such a casual, nonchalant yet very bold move, she produced his grandmother’s ring from one of her boxes and handed it to Oliver, and shocked him. Yet again. Like only Felicity could.

“It doesn’t scare me, either,” she told him confidently. “That night in the storage room at Verdant? I wasn't exactly honest. I didn’t sell your ring. Obviously," she waved towards the diamond in his hand. "I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again but it didn’t feel right to pawn it. I should have given it back sooner, I just…” Felicity swallowed, her eyes still on the ring as they stood in the middle of the bedroom. “It’s yours, and if there’s ever a time when you want me to wear it, preferably in a reasonably distant future, then...that doesn’t scare me, either.”

All he could do was kiss her. With a hopeful, ardent feeling flooding his chest, Oliver pulled her into his arms and poured everything that he was feeling into that kiss.

It wasn’t until later that year, on another road trip to visit Felicity’s mother, after only six months of dating, that Oliver finally asked her to marry him.

They both knew that it was right. That feelings like theirs would last forever. That somehow, the ring that Oliver gave her on the night they met was always meant to end up on her finger.

And so Felicity said yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to Magda for the beautiful gif and thank you all for reading! I have some other stories planned and a couple of them half-written for this series, so I'll see where it takes me ;)  
> Let me know what you think!!


End file.
